On Chinese Contemporary Writers' Reception Of Flaubert

Due to the lack of realism and the lack of "scientific spirit" and "true and aesthetic" during the period of May 4^th new literature in Chinese literature, Flaubert, with his objective and scientific writing style, his way of pursuing beauty, strict attitude to writing and his whole life's pursuit to metaphorical exploration and description of realistic living situations, was admittedly embraced by Chinese modern literature. Chinese contemporary writers, such as Ding Ling, Li Xieren and Mao Dun, and their creations are greatly influenced by Flaubert's writing techniques and styles, way of thinking and mental mechanism which were often presented in his compositions. Having learned and carried on Flaubert's contractive ways between fantasy and reality and fine mental description, Ding Ling produced many literary works, such as Miss Sophy's Diary, Lady A Mao, and In the Summer Holidays, as well as a lot of heroines who were different from those of her peer women writers, Lu Yin, Feng Yuanjun, Ling Shuhua and the like. Adopting Flaubert's writing principle of realism, Li Xieren composed the novel Light Waves in Motionless Water, Before Storm and Great Waves; learning from Flaubert's techniques of creating characters, he produced numerous women figures, which were depicted vividly and effectively byLi.During May 4^th period, since some Chinese had the disadvantages of regarding literature a game to amuse and observing the realistic world impractically, Mao Dun attributed the case to the main reason why Chinese literature was unable to grow. To correct the limitations and save Chinese literature, Mao Dun learned Flaubert's scientific spirit, which Mao Dun made every effort to seek for the sake of Chinese literature. In his works, Mao Dun also produced a group of women in the new era. In some extent, the characters created by Ding Ling, Li Xieren and Mao Dun copy those by Flawubert, however, they are different in the following ways: they have their own individual consciousness, which are kept and not devoured when facing the temptations, instead, they go to the other pole of world.Before May 4^th new culture movement in Chinese literature world, the fact that Flaubert, a master in literature, was introduced in China, not only bridged the gap of lack of realism directly, but found "scientific spirit", "true and aesthetic" in the period of May 4^th new literature. What's more important, his appearance corrected the weaknesses of some Chinese, that is, thinking of literature as a way to amuse and observing the world unpractically, resulting in Chinese contemporary literature to develop and advance healthily and saving it in turn. By means of his works, Flaubert criticizes and satirizes the French capitalist class bitterly at that time, thinks and explores the realistic living conditions. Therefore, there exists class awareness in his works obviously. Meanwhile, he is aware of class division and inequality in society, so his ideas have the marked humanism. However, for one thing, Chinese writers, such as Ding Ling, Li Xieren and Mao Dun, learned science and reason from Flaubert, for another, they thought over and probed the Chinese realistic living situations. That utilitarianism which is presented in their works is few, rare, ever not seen at all in the literature of other countries.